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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Why Do Catholics Baptize Infants

“Don’t baptize children” is also a new dogma that the world heard from anti-Catholics, 1500 years after the beginning of Christianity, which was not demanded by Jesus nor practiced by his apostles in the early Church. Baptism is an external sign of an internal grace that we receive by the acceptance of Jesus as the Lord and Savior. The Bible says, it was given to children, adults and old ones alike by the apostles. The children were never denied baptism. No early documents of Christianity, supports that.

Acts 2:38-39 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”

At the time of Jesus, circumcision was the way to be consecrated to God. Apostles replaced baptism for circumcision. Circumcision was administered to children eight days after birth.

Col. 2:11-12 – “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with Him in baptism.”

In the New Testament, baptism was administered to the whole family including children and adults. Baptism was never denied to children: Paul baptized the household of Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:16). “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved (Acts 16:31). “Crispus, the synagogue official,came to believe in the Lord, along with his entire household.” (Acts 18:8) Here the Greek usage of “whole household” was a normal usage at that time which included children and adults in a house.

Jesus commanded baptism as a necessity for everyone to enter into the kingdom of God. (Jn. 3:5) Jesus answered Nicodemus, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Jesus didn’t say “except children,” but he said ‘no one can enter.’ Children should not be banned from entering into the kingdom of God as Jesus wished.

Mk. 10:14 – “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belong to such as these.” Denying baptism to children is just preventing them from entering His kingdom. So, it becomes the duty and responsibility of parents to give the child the most urgent thing that they have to give – ‘Grace of God!’

“How can the children make an act of faith before receiving baptism?” In order to answer this doubt, we should know that ‘faith’ is God’s gift, not something that we get when we study some doctrines. Here, the Catholic Church follows the example of Jesus, who forgave sins because of the faith of others: Mk. 2:2-5- “after they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus healed the paralyzed servant because of the faith of a Centurion. Mt. 8:10-13 – “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”…And Jesus said to the Centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” At that very hour his servant was healed.

Baptism: Immersion or Pouring?

The use of ‘water’ is an external sign of an internal grace of God. At the time of Jesus, ritual washings were practiced. The priest washed his hands to show purity. Pilate washed his hands to show his innocence. When Jesus accepted this sign, he didn’t intend for baptism ‘a bath in water.’ It is because of that misunderstanding, some sects prepare artificial swimming pools inside their worship centers. They accuse Catholic baptism is invalid as it is not done by immersion. Jesus and his disciples did not use such pools, for baptism. Wherever they got some water, baptism was administered. Acts 8:36-38 “As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look there is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Here, ‘some water’ doesn’t mean a ‘river’ or ‘pool.’ On the day of Pentecost 3000 men were baptized there itself. We don’t read the apostles leading them to a river or to a sea to get those all immersed. Sprinkling of water may be used to baptize them. (Those 3000 never included women and children who were more than that!)

In the Church, immersion, pouring, and even sprinkling were used in the centuries that we consider, using of water, as an external sign, is the important thing. The Didache, which was considered as ‘inspired’ by some of the old Christian Churches (Syria, 70-110 AD) says: “Regarding baptism, baptize thus….. baptize ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,’ in the running water. But if you have no running water, baptize in any other, and if you cannot, in cold water, then warm. But if the one is lacking, pour the other three times on the head ‘in the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit.’ ” (The Didache, Ch. 7)

@Fafa Ozkie, and who will decide which process is the right one? It is always the Catholic church, not the Bible. Walang Bibliya nung unang panahon, the Catholic church as the authority from heaven to decide as God said, whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven.